Sony EX-1 .MP4 file import issue

Thank you in advance. I have a client that supplied me with a hard drive of .mp4 clips that was shot on a Sony EX-1 camera 1080p 23.98fps. Unfortunately I am unable to import any of these files. I have tried Final Cut 6, Compressor, Telestream Episode Engine, Sony XDCam transfer, to no avail. I believe that I downloaded all the possible drivers. The only way I am able to view the files is through VLC.

All of the previous information I have seen regarding issues importing from the Sony EX-1, the people had the luxury of having the SxS cards available (I do not). Is it possible that one cannot import from a Hard Drive, or are my files corrupt?

MPEG Streamclip http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html might be able to convert the files to a useable QT codec. That would be time-consuming to do many files and might result in a degradation of quality as compared to a more direct input to FCP. Hopefully, someone with XDCAM experience will have an answer for you.

JP, you can import XDCAM footage from either SxS cards or a hard drive, but you will need the XDCAM Log and Transfer plugin for FCP.

For some reason it is hard to find. You can do a search for "XDCAM Plugin" or try this site: http://www.sony.ca/xdcamex/software.htm. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and download the version 2.5.1 file. I read that they've gone as high as 2.7, but this was the only version I could find. I works fine with my Macbook Pro. Someone else on this forum may know where to get a more recent version.

Once you install the plugin, "XDCAM" becomes one of your options under the import function.

The files should be in a folder labeled BPAV, and that folder should reside inside another folder. If that's the case, you'll need the Sony XDCAM Transfer software to convert the files for FCP use. If it's not in that configuration, you'll need to have your client re-submit it exactly the way it comes off the cards, or, better yet, as Quicktime EX clips that have been processed by the Transfer software.

The Sony transfer tool app. (free) is to re-wrap the EX .mp4 files to MOV format otherwise FCP will not see the files. As was mentioned each BPAV folder should reside within another uniquely named folder, otherwise the Transfer tool will not see the files. The BPAV folder should not be named anything other than "BPAV".

Thank you all for your support. I truly believe that the files are corrupt. All of the possible solutions that everyone has presented to me still come back either: invalid data, error trying to open source media file, access denied or unknown. If i stumble across something I will let you know.

I regularly transfer from a hard drive all the time with no issues as long as the BPAV files are intact. It could be that the client by-passed the transfer process altogether and just grabbed the .mp4s out of the BPAV folders from the cards directly, in which case you're out of luck. You need the BPAV files to be intact in order to import or transfer the files to be usable with FCP. Hopefully the client backed-up all the BPAV files from each card.

I had the same problem. Somebody gave me a hard drive with MPEG-4 clips, only them nothing else. A solution was to convert them into .mov files. I used a small little program called Emicsoft. I know is not a very orthodox solution but it worked just fine.

You can fix your problem by upgrading to the latest version of XDCAM Transfer, which is version 2.12 (read two-point-twelve, not two point-one-two). It is available from Sony Canada's download page; they just haven't updated the text to match.

This version supports lose MP4 files that have been unceremoniously ripped out of the BPAV folder structure, which is really where they should be.

Older versions (pre 2.9 ?) of XDCAM Transfer will not show lose MP4 files. The Log and Transfer plug-in does not support them unless they are in their BPAV folder.